Saul Varsey
Saul Varsey is a man who has not gone far in life and knows it. Growing up on the Gulf Coast, Saul has lived in the same area his entire life and has to make do with the cards he has been dealt. Saul is currently residing in Waveland as part of the ever-increasing army of Luke of Orange. Biography Early Childhood Born in one of the larger fishing villages of Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, Saul had the fortune of being born into one of the better families of the town. His father owned his own boat, gone for days at a time in pursuit of larger and larger catches of mutated fish. His mother was a former caravan driver who fell in love with Saul's father and stayed while the rest of her caravan left without her. Saul spent most of his early childhood being educated by his parents, who were able to teach him basic writing and how to read. Saul was not a terribly popular child growing up. He was often picked on for his stutter and short height. That toughened Saul up and put a bitterness inside him that has persisted ever since. The birth of twins to his mother when he was six cheered Saul up a bit. Around the same time, Saul finally stood up to his bullies and fought them with his bare fists. That led to trouble with his parents who disciplined him harshly. Saul took his punishment in stride and began a cycle that would continue for years. Two important developments came for young Saul Varsey at the age of twelve: learning about his tribal “heritage” and making his first real friend. Saul’s father took him out on the water to teach him how to fish and the same time taught the boy about his tribal ancestors and their traditions. Saul was even taught his ancestor’s creation myths, which especially enraptured him. Although Saul detested fishing (and does currently as well), he very much took his father’s words on their tribal ancestors to heart and still takes pride in his heritage. Saul’s first friend cam soon afterwards in the form of Tien, a shy boy of Vietnamese heritage who was younger than Saul. The two hit it off when they both had to fend off bullies for different reasons (they were trying to beat up Saul while berating Tien for being “a queer”). Tien admired Saul’s ability to effectively protect himself and strong will while Saul thought Tien’s sensitive nature, seemingly encyclopedic knowledge, and storytelling were “pretty cool”. The two were inseparable for many years afterwards. At thirteen, Saul had to begin working on father’s boat every other day to pull his weight. He hated working on the water but did it in the hope that it would please his dad. Saul worked on his father’s boat for six years, and no such appreciation came. Teenage Years Saul Varsey’s teenage years started with a bang as puberty set in at fourteen. Almost instantaneously, Saul began chasing after just about every girl his age in the village to Tien’s frustration. This continued on for months almost until one of them, Molly Willis, decided to reciprocate Saul’s feelings. She became Saul's first steady girlfriend in 2262. The two had a few happy months, but when Molly's father found out, they were forcefully separated. That enraged Saul, but what angered him even more was his own parents' response. His father told Saul he had to respect the feelings of Molly's father, and his mother agreed. Saul went off on his father for a full half-hour, and he briefly ran away from home after that. Luckily, Tien managed to get Saul to cool down and bring him home. The rest of Saul's teenage years were spent with increasing severity between him and his parents. He continued helping with his father on their boat but liked it even less than before. His friendship with Tien and secret trysts with Molly got him through those years, as well as his budding chem habit. However, someone else would soon emerge that would catch Saul's interest. A young mercenary came through Saul’s village in 2265 from the west. His name was Samson Duhon, and he was an ambitious Cajun merc. Samson initially clashed with Saul when he insulted the young man’s appearance, but the two soon connected over their tough and tumble nature and stories about their heritage: Cajun and tribal. Samson stayed in Saul’s village for a while while looking for jobs, and he met Tien too after a while. Samson and Tien had a cooler relationship than either had with Saul, but the two still counted each other as friends. This odd arrangement continued for about a year until Samson finally got a job in Waveland, a larger settlement known for trade and prostitution. Samson offered Saul and Tien the chance to join him on the way to Waveland. Tien felt an obligation to remain with his parents and take care of them while Saul jumped at the opportunity. Saul tried to convince Tien and later Molly to run away with him to Waveland, but neither wanted to. Regardless of them, Saul was fed up with the fisherman’s life and wanted something more; Waveland represented that. His parents did not understand him, and they had the twins to care for them later. Saul left his village in the dead of night with Samson and has not returned since. He still left a note by his sleeping parents that night explaining why he left in the nicest words he could muster. They later read with tears in their eyes shaking their heads, worrying about their Saul. Tien and Molly felt the same way. Odd Jobs Saul Varsey and Samson Duhon made their into the wasteland in 2266. They eventually made their way to Waveland, finding a whole new world of degeneracy. Saul often wrinkled his nose at the various travelers and prostitutes who inhabited Waveland. Nevertheless, Saul and Samson worked as a pair to take odd jobs around Waveland. The first job they took was as bouncers for Waveland’s largest brothel. That led to some interesting moments over the next couple of months, including a scuffle with a super mutant and a gunfight with a drunk Badlander from the Louisiana Pack. It was from that Badlander’s body that Saul salvaged his trusty sidearm Horus, an ancient Desert Eagle pistol in .44 magnum. One of the things Saul did in Waveland was maintain contact with his friend Tien back home, often sending him letters by courier or on a caravan. The two told each other how their lives were going and their plans as time went on. Saul also managed to make a new “friend” in Waveland: the local chem dealer Laurent. Laurent was something of a sycophant and soon was feeding both Saul’s ego and his chem habit. This worried Samson greatly, and he got into several arguments with Saul over his association with Laurent. Saul frequently won these arguments and made Samson drop the issue. Another “friend” Saul made in Waveland was a prostitute named Ciara. Ciara had a fiery personality that matched Saul’s own and a witty personality that seemed to run circles around even Saul’s argumentation. She was not a girlfriend like Molly had been, but she was his (at least in Saul’s mind). Things changed in 2267 with two things: Saul and Samson were let go as bouncers as the brothel reduced its security costs and Tien arrived in Waveland to join Saul in his new life. Now saddled with his friend Tien’s inexperience in Waveland, living costs, and increasing stress, Saul began to more often “explode” on both Tien and Samson. This affected Tien more than Samson, and the two’s friendship grew strained. It took the help of Ciara (who had befriended Tien) to repair their friendship in late 2267. In the meantime, Samson, Saul, and Tien all worked odd jobs around Waveland to make ends meet. The three friends finally managed to find steady jobs in late 2267 when a water caravan offered them all positions as guards. They all jumped at this opportunity, and soon enough, the three were frequently escorting water caravans around the wasteland coming to Waveland. It was good honest work and things seemed to be stable, peaceful. That was until January 2268 when the three would arrive back in Waveland to find the town changed irreconcilably. Luke of Orange Saul and friends returned to Waveland in January 2268 to find the town on fire. It was apparent there had been an attack, and Waveland had been thoroughly sacked. Tien, Samson, and the rest of the caravan wanted to leave Waveland to its new conquerors and head somewhere else. However, Saul wanted to find out what happened, single-handedly arguing for them to reenter and see what had happened (he wanted to know what happened to Ciara and Laurent). The water caravan reentered Waveland to find the town ransacked and in flames. The invaders, slavers and mercenaries, did not attack the water caravan but menaced them for their own entertainment. Upon going further into Waveland, Saul discovered what he was looking for. Laurents has survived the slaver takeover seamlessly, and he was back to dealing drugs to his new overlords immediately after the fires started to peter out. Saul asked him and other survivors about the whereabouts of Ciara, getting no clear answer. Saul’s temper was inflamed when it became increasingly clear that the slavers’ leader Luke of Orange had raped his way through the brothel and taken the prostitutes. The enraged man even started to swear that he would kill the warlord in the street before Tien talked him down. Saul learned Ciara’s fate soon afterwards: she had fled west soon after the attack had begun towards Slidell and the Big Easy. That saddened Saul, but he was happy that she was safe at least. Meeting up back at the inn, the three friends ruminated on their next move. Samson wanted to stay in Waveland to join the warlord’s army while Tien wanted to go home. Saul decided to stay with Samson, sullenly wishing Tien well on his way back home. Luke of Orange promised to pay those in his army well and also vowed to lead them in a great battle against his eternal enemy. The years since then became a blur of liquor, chems, and whores. The only constant was Samson, who stayed with Saul through thick and thin. Saul expected Luke of Orange to have done something, but the army has stayed in Waveland, immovable as a boulder. Saul often wondered about Ciara’s fate and wishes he had paid more attention to her. He has no favorite anymore at the brothel. Saul did make a couple more regular friends though, including the quiet but deadly merc Hush, the crazed wasteland creature Maniac, and Luke of Orange’s stoic bodyguard Isiah Trehern. Tien returned to Waveland older and wiser in 2286 with a companion: Jonathan. Tien and Jonathan wanted to make something more of themselves and Waveland was the only large town in the area that might help them achieve that goal (unless they wanted to make the trek to the Big Easy). It was obvious the two were a couple, and that has driven a sort of wedge between Tien and his old friends. Saul still loves Tien like a brother but often worries about how how his friend reflects on him. However, Saul tries to not think about this mostly and just has fun. He shoots up chems, argues with travelers, and drinks with his friends on a good day. On a bad day, Saul sulks and remembers how much he hasn’t accomplished in his life. Personality Bitter, cynical and bellicose; Saul seems to be your typical wasteland jerk. Highly opinionated, he'll argue until he's blue in the face (even after he was proven wrong) that his view is the correct view with sometimes very little evidence. Saul further compounds this by having viewpoints that are often contrary to what the wider wasteland believes especially regarding tribals, chems, and other matters. Often peppering his speech with bursts of incredibly foul language, he is actually an effective debater and speaker due to his intensity. Saul is often the aggressor in most conflicts. Deep down, however, Saul is a nice guy at heart. He will remain loyal to his friends, even if he spends most of his time making fun of them or reminding them how much he dislikes all of them, and try to do the morally right thing (most of the time). Saul is also a drinking and chem-using man. Although he uses both types of substances for recreational purposes rather than a full-blown addiction, his friends often berate him for it. Appearance Saul's appearance is certainly not one of his better qualities. His features are rather uneven and rough hewn, almost mismatched. His proportions are better, as Saul is a very fit individual. His short height is less noticeable to most people but is quite important to Saul, as it has made him insecure ever since he was a child. Saul's mixed heritage gives him a rather pale brown skin color that leaves his ethnicity rather ambiguous. Equipment The equipment Saul possesses is not anything special for the most part, but it get the job done. His primary weapon is Horus, an ancient Desert Eagle pistol in .44 magnum. It has carried Saul through many fights over the years and has not failed him yet. Saul's other relevant weapons are a flare gun and a police baton. Another important possession of Saul's is a flask that he keeps on his person near constantly. Quotes Category:Mississippi Category:Mercenaries